The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
Electronic message service providers enable various forms of one-to-many communication, including text messages, such as provided by Verizon Wireless®, social network messages, such as provided by Twitter®, and electronic mail or email, such as provided by Gmail®. Electronic message service providers offer bulk electronic message services and/or electronic message marketing. For an example, an electronic message service provider can upload a subscriber list from a user for distributing electronic messages, and update the subscriber list to suppress those subscribers requesting to be unsubscribed. An electronic message service provider may also dynamically customize the content of electronic messages that are sent out, to tailor personalized and relevant communications. Further, an electronic message service provider may create templates for sending electronic messages to contacts and/or offer the use of pre-made templates. Additionally, an electronic message service provider may test templates for compatibility with electronic message clients, such as spam testing to gauge the score of an electronic message against known factors that will place the template at risk of being blocked. An electronic message service provider may track information showing the status of electronic messages sent to each member of an address list, and offer statistical reviews of responses to each electronic message sent to measure the success rate of a bulk electronic message distribution.
The level of service provided can be according to the above basic features, or the number of subscribers uploaded, or the frequency of use, or any combination of the above criteria. Many electronic message service providers have the same basic features and functionality, but they vary greatly in volumes, policies, and deliverability, making the selection of an appropriate electronic message service provider critical to both the success of electronic message distribution and the cost effectiveness of its implementation.
As an example, a software company may send emails to customers who began registering on-line with the software company to enable the customers to complete the registration process. The software company may send first email content, which includes users' email addresses, users' first names, a hyperlink to a registration completion webpage, and a first email template, to a first email service provider, which generates emails based on the email content. The software company may also send second email content, which includes users' email addresses and users' first names, a hyperlink to a registration completion webpage and a second email template to a second email service provider, which generates emails based on the email content.
In an embodiment, if the software company sends the first email content to the second email service provider, the second email service provider may not be able to process the first email content properly because the first email content is based on a first email template that is incompatible with the email content processed by the second email service provider. Likewise, if the software company sends the second email content to the first email service provider, the first email service provider may not be able to process the second email content properly because the second email content is based on a second email template that is incompatible with the email content processed by the first email service provider. In this example, the software company may generate code to send 40% of its registration completion emails through the first email service provider, and generate code to send the remaining 60% of its registration completion emails through the second email service provider. If the software company experiences a service outage with the second email service provider, the software company cannot send the remaining 60% of its registration completion emails through the first email service provider because the remaining 60% of its registration completion emails include a second email template that is incompatible with the email content processed by the first email service provider. Consequently, the software company must either wait until their service for the second email service provider returns, or go through the time-consuming process of regenerating code to send the remaining 60% of its registration completion emails through the first email service provider.
Although the foregoing example is based on registration completion emails, other types of electronic messages based on business requirements, such as text messages or social network messages for password reset messages, face similar challenges. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide techniques that enable a database system to improve the performance, efficiency, and the ease of use of electronic message service providers.